Promoter Chris Pook founded the event as a Formula 5000 race in 1975, won by Brian Redman in front of more than 46,000 fans and spectators. Only six months later, Pook staged a Formula One race at the same venue, won by Clay Regazzoni of Switzerland. In 1977, Mario Andretti avoided a first-lap collision and went on to outrace Jody Scheckter and Niki Lauda to become the first American to win a Formula One race in a United States Grand Prix, a result that transformed the event's national profile and drew coverage from the New York Times and Sports Illustrated. Argentina's Carlos Reutemann won flag-to-flag in his Ferrari in 1978, and Canada's Gilles Villeneuve led a Ferrari one-two finish in 1979. Niki Lauda won in 1982 and John Watson — starting from an improbable 22nd on the grid — won in 1983.
In 1983, facing rising Formula One fees, Pook agreed terms with Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART), and the race switched to Champ Cars from 1984. Mario Andretti again won the inaugural CART edition. American names dominated through the 1980s and 1990s. Al Unser Jr. won the race six times, including a remarkable four consecutive victories from 1988 to 1991. Michael Andretti won twice. Italy's Alex Zanardi won back-to-back in 1997 and 1998. Colombia's Juan Montoya became the first rookie to win the race in 1999, before joining Formula One. Brazil's Helio Castroneves led an all-Brazil one-two-three finish in 2001. Canada's Paul Tracy won four times (1993, 2000, 2003 and 2004) and France's Sebastien Bourdais won three consecutive editions from 2005 to 2007.
In June 2005, race team owners Kevin Kalkhoven and Gerald Forsythe purchased the Grand Prix Association of Long Beach, securing the event's future. The final Champ Car race at Long Beach was held on 20 April 2008, won by Australia's Will Power.
Following the unification of American open-wheel racing, Long Beach signed a long-term agreement with the IndyCar Series from 2009. Dario Franchitti won the inaugural IndyCar edition before a packed crowd. In 2013, Takuma Sato became the first Japanese driver to win the race. In 2015, Scott Dixon won his first Long Beach race on his ninth attempt. A streak of four consecutive first-time winners followed: Simon Pagenaud in 2016, James Hinchcliffe in 2017 and Alexander Rossi in 2018.
On 5 February 2019, the Grand Prix Association entered into a multi-year title sponsorship agreement with Acura, establishing the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. The 2020 event was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In December 2020, it was announced that the 2021 race would be delayed to September — the first September running since 1975 — with Colton Herta winning his first Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. Josef Newgarden won for the first time in 2022, followed by Kyle Kirkwood winning his first IndyCar race in 2023. Scott Dixon won his second Long Beach race in 2024.
After Penske Entertainment purchased the Grand Prix Association from Forsythe and the late Kalkhoven's estate in November 2024, Kirkwood returned to victory lane in the 50th anniversary edition in April 2025.
In the 2026 Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, Alex Palou of Chip Ganassi Racing claimed his first Long Beach victory and his third win of the 2026 season, catapulting him to first place in the IndyCar standings with a 17-point advantage over Kyle Kirkwood. Felix Rosenqvist in a Meyer Shank Racing Honda liveried as an Acura started from pole position and led a race-high 51 laps before losing the lead during a pit cycle under caution. Scott Dixon completed the podium in third, giving Honda a one-two-three-four sweep with Kirkwood fourth. The 2026 race also formed part of a broader Honda and Acura sweep of the Long Beach weekend, with the Meyer Shank Racing Acura ARX-06 of Nick Yelloly and Renger van der Zande winning the concurrent IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship race from pole position.
The 1.968-mile, 11-turn temporary street circuit is constructed around the Long Beach Convention Center on Shoreline Drive in downtown Long Beach. The race distance is 90 laps covering approximately 177 miles.
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